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Metallica’s Lars Ulrich on His Style and Shooting for Citizens of Humanity

Sure, you’ve got your boldface campaign photographers: Testino, Sorrenti, Klein . . . But when the time came to create some imagery for their new MyTheresa denim capsule, Citizens of Humanity tapped a lensman with a different sort of cred. Namely: powerhouse Metallica drummer and founding member Lars Ulrich. CoH’s lineup of six styles was inspired by the metal scene of the ’80s and early ’90s, over which Metallica loomed so large. Ulrich (who had dabbled in photography in the past) captured his wife, Jessica Miller, wearing the pieces; a veteran model, she walked for houses from Chanel to Marc Jacobs in the aughts before retiring from the runway. We caught up with Ulrich, who’s been busy in the studio finishing up Metallica’s next record, to talk about working with his wife, his personal style, and fashion’s newfound taste for all things metal.

The collection, made up of iconic pieces like a trucker jacket, vest, and high-waisted skinnies, are available from today at MyTheresa and Citizens of Humanity; watch for a feature with Ulrich in the forthcoming issue of the Citizens of Humanity’s Humanity magazine_, out July 1._

How did the project come about? How did you initially receive the idea of it?Three or four months ago, I was approached via my publicist about doing a piece in the Citizens of Humanity magazine with Justin O’Shea. [He’s] a really cool guy and I had always been aware of him from the sidelines, so when the idea presented itself via the magazine to do something together, I jumped at it. [O’Shea and I] just hit it off. It felt like we were kindred souls or lost brothers, so we’re hanging out the whole day, shooting stuff for the magazine, he’s interviewing me and we’re talking, and last thing he was doing [at MyTheresa] before he went on to Brioni was this new denim collection inspired by harder rock bands in the ’80s, my own included. Metallica was one of his inspirations in putting [it] together, and basically by the end of the day, we were going, “Wouldn’t it be fun if I shot photos of my wife for the launch?” It wasn’t something that came through branding people; it was literally just Justin and me hanging out.

Has photography been a longer-term interest of yours?My mom was a photographer, actually, before she had me and settled down to take care of [the family]. In the ’50s, she was one of the first people who brought color film to Denmark. I guess it’s in my blood a little bit. I’ve always been interested in photography, and when we [Metallica] work with all of these wonderful photographers, I’ve always been interested in watching them. I’m interested in composition and backgrounds, in photography as a medium. One of my best friends is Anton Corbijn. I’ve always been practicing a bit on the amateur side, taking lots of pictures of my kids and Jessica. When the agency calls and says, “Could Jess send a couple of Polaroids of how she looks this week?” I’m the one who takes those pictures of her.

Photo: Lars Ulrich

What was your approach when the day of the shoot came?With everything like this, I totally wing it! Jess and I had a composition with [the Citizens of Humanity team] and got a little storyboard together, pulled up some pictures of things that inspired us. [Based on the hard rock inspiration], obviously in that type of situation, you’re not going to do a full-on, saturated, rich color, glam type of thing; it’s more muted, more about attitude. My whole m.o. with this type of stuff is an impulsive, in-the-moment kind of thing. I’m really into composition, background, styling—I’m not the kind of guy who’s going to walk around for 30 minutes and adjust lights to within an inch. The Citizens people gave me an awesome group who took care of all that for me, so I looked like I knew what I was doing—which, of course, I didn’t and never do. [Laughs] I love being in creative situations where I’m out of my league. And you could put a garbage bag on Jessica and she’d look great, so obviously that side of it was a no-brainer.

What’s your personal approach when it comes to fashion?Fashion has to be comfortable, and it should never be too forced. I’m Danish, and Danish people can be a little contrary in their worldview. I like to sometimes be a little contrary—overdress in situations where it’s more casual, and I like to mix things a lot. If I’ve got a nice blazer, a nice pair of pants, then maybe have some rougher shoes, or vice versa. The turnaround at Saint Laurent in the last couple of years has been interesting and inspiring to watch. [I’m] sad to see Hedi go. I’ve got a lot of Rick Owens stuff that fits me really well, because it’s nice and tight. I’m not a big guy, and I’ve been fortunate to keep it on the skinnier side, so I like things that are tighter. I got married in Saint Laurent; those suits fit me really well.

What’s your take on fashion’s newfound interest in metal iconography?I’m generally a very open person, so I think that we can all inspire each other and share. I always like when things [move] across genres. I’ve always struggled with being put into a particular label or group, so I love when mixtures happen. If there’s a thing happening in fashion at the moment where harder rock or metal are helping to inspire things that are happening, then that’s awesome.